Circuit breaker remote service system

ABSTRACT

A remote service system for a circuit breaker fixed in a remote allocation. Remote service is provided by any station that can be accessed through a communication network. The system is provided, on one side, with a diagnostic hand-held apparatus which is dedicated to a switch service and should be connected, if necessary, to a circuit breaker, through a connecting unit provided to that end, and on the other side, with a telecommunication interface for exchanging a data through a telecommunication network.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/DE00/01581 which has an Internationalfiling date of May 16, 2000, which designated the United States ofAmerica, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to a system for remote servicing ofcircuit breakers. Preferably, it relates to one for the transmission ofup-to-date information about the state of a switch which is installed ata remote location to any desired service center which can be accessedvia a telecommunications network or by radio, using a diagnosis handsetwhich can be connected to the circuit breaker when required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Systems already exist for remote control of circuit breakers, and inprinciple these also allow remote diagnosis. A system such as this isdescribed in WO 98/123455 A1. In an expanded system according to U.S.Pat. No. 5,596,473, the circuit breakers in a switchgear assembly areconnected all the time to a control center, from which the switchingcommands are transmitted. If a diagnosis handset is connected to acircuit breaker in order to carry out test routines, then the connectionto the control center is broken. The test can thus be carried out onlyon site, and the control center is excluded from this. There is alsoonly one connection to a specific control center, and it is impossibleto transmit the data relating to the circuit breaker or the test set toany other point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide asystem for remote servicing of circuit breakers. Preferably, the systemable to transmit up-to-date information about the state of a circuitbreaker which is installed at a remote location to any desired point,for example to a point which can be accessed via a telephone network orvia radio, with little effort by personnel.

An object may be achieved according to an embodiment of the invention inthat the diagnosis handset, which is equipped with a plug-in unit forconnection to the circuit breaker on one side, can be equipped on theother side with a communications interface. This allows data to beinterchanged with the service center via the telecommunications network.Further, the circuit breaker may include a plug socket to which thediagnosis handset can be connected via its plug-in unit.

Thus, remote diagnosis can be carried out when required, and data can betransmitted between the circuit breaker and the service center only forthis purpose.

A diagnosis handset can thus be provided which is connected to thecircuit breaker via the plug connection provided for this purpose, andon the other hand can be connected, by way of example, to a telephonenetwork via a telephone plug-in device (telecommunications accessunit=TAE), which is likewise arranged on the diagnosis handset for thispurpose, that is to say, by way of example, via a TAE socket.

The interface to the telecommunications network may, of course, also bea Western modular plug-in device, a plug-in unit as is used for thenetworking of computers in buildings, etc.

Expediently, either a device which sets up a data connection to thecalling service center, in response to a telephone call, or a dialingdevice which sets up a data connection to a service center either oncommand by the user or automatically, may be integrated in the handset.

This makes it possible for a customer to carry out a test at any time bysetting up a connection to the circuit breaker in the intended manner.

Since appropriate programming is possible, this can be achieved byoperating only one button, and the service center receives a message,for example “switch 40772 has signal, please check everything” on themonitoring screen.

Another possible scenario is one in which, because the service centerhas the task of checking the switch periodically, it requests that thetest set be connected, and then carries out the check remotely. In thisway, the competence of the manufacturer of the circuit breaker can bemade use of in a short time, virtually anywhere in the world.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following textusing a preferred exemplary embodiment and with reference to theattached drawing.

The single FIGURE shows, schematically, the system which is formed froma circuit breaker, a diagnosis handset and a telecommunications unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The FIGURE shows, schematically, a circuit breaker 1, which is providedwith a diagnosis socket 2. A diagnosis handset 3 is connected to thediagnosis socket 2, and has a modem 4 via which the diagnosis handset 3is connected to a telephone network 6 via a telecommunications unit 5,on the side facing away from the switch connection. The service center 8is connected via a further telecommunications unit 7 at the opposite endof the telephone network 6. The transmission may, of course, also bemade using other telecommunications facilities, such as by radio or viathe Internet.

The system according to an embodiment of the invention for remoteservicing for circuit breakers allows a customer to carry out a test,and to set up a connection to the circuit breaker, at any time. It alsoallows service centers which have the task of checking the switchperiodically, of doing this remotely.

In this way, the competence of the manufacturer of the circuit breakermay be used in a short time virtually anywhere in the world, and notonly from a control center. This may all be done with little personneleffort.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for remote servicing of a circuitbreaker, comprising: a diagnosis handset, connectable to the circuitbreaker, wherein the diagnosis handset includes on one side, a plug-inunit for connection to the circuit breaker, and includes on anotherside, a communications interface which allows data to be interchangedwith a plurality of service centers, without interrupting commands froma control center, and wherein the circuit breaker includes a plug socketto which the diagnosis handset is connectable via its plug-in unit. 2.The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communications interfacecomprises a telecommunications unit.
 3. The system as claimed in claim2, wherein the telecommunications unit includes a TAE socket and a TAEplug.
 4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a device, which inresponse to a telephone call, sets up a data connection to one or moreof the service centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 5. Thesystem as claimed in claim 2, wherein a dialing device which, on commandby a user, produces a data connection to one or more of the servicecenters, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 6. The system asclaimed in claim 2, wherein a dialing device, which automaticallyproduces a data connection to one or more of the service centers, isintegrated in the diagnosis handset.
 7. The system as claimed in claim1, wherein the communications interface comprises a Western modularconnection unit.
 8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a device,which in response to a telephone call, sets up a data connection to oneor more of the service centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a dialing device which, oncommand by a user, produces a data connection to one or more of theservice centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 10. The systemas claimed in claim 7, wherein a dialing device, which automaticallyproduces a data connection to one or more of the service centers, isintegrated in the diagnosis handset.
 11. The system as claimed in claim1, wherein the communications interface comprises a plug-in unit, as isused for networking of computers in buildings.
 12. The system as claimedin claim 11, wherein a device, which in response to a telephone call,sets up a data connection to one or more of the service centers, isintegrated in the diagnosis handset.
 13. The system as claimed in claim11, wherein a dialing device which, on command by a user, produces adata connection to one or more of the service centers, is integrated inthe diagnosis handset.
 14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein adialing device, which automatically produces a data connection to one ormore of the service centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset. 15.The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a device, which in response toa telephone call, sets up a data connection to one or more of theservice centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 16. The systemas claimed in claim 1, wherein a dialing device which, on command by auser, produces a data connection to one or more of the service centers,is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 17. The system as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a dialing device, which automatically produces a dataconnection to one or more of the service centers, is integrated in thediagnosis handset.
 18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein thesystem is for the transmission of up-to-date information about the stateof a circuit breaker, installed at a remote location, to one or more ofthe service centers, wherein the transmission occurs by at least one ofa telecommunications network and by radio.
 19. A diagnosis handset,connectable to a circuit breaker, for use in a system for remoteservicing of the circuit breaker, comprising: a plug-in unit, on oneside of the diagnosis handset, for connection to the circuit breaker;and a communications interface, on another side of the diagnosishandset, which allows data to be interchanged with a plurality ofservice centers without interrupting commands from a control center,wherein the circuit breaker includes a plug socket to which thediagnosis handset is connectable via its plug-in unit.
 20. The diagnosishandset as claimed in claim 19, wherein a device, which in response to atelephone call, sets up a data connection to one or more of the servicecenters, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 21. The diagnosishandset as claimed in claim 19, wherein a dialing device which, oncommand by a user, produces a data connection to one or more of theservice centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 22. Thediagnosis handset as claimed in claim 19, wherein a dialing device,which automatically produces a data connection to one or more of theservice centers, is integrated in the diagnosis handset.
 23. A systemfor remote servicing of a circuit breaker, comprising: a diagnosishandset, connectable to the circuit breaker, wherein the diagnosishandset includes on one side, connection means for connecting thehandset to the circuit breaker, and includes on another side,communications interface means for allowing data to be interchanged witha plurality of service centers without interrupting commands from acontrol center, and wherein the circuit breaker includes a plug socketto which the diagnosis handset is connectable via the connection means.24. The system as in claim 23 further comprising: means, integrated inthe handset and responsive to a telephone call, for setting up a dataconnection to one or more of the service centers.
 25. The system as inclaim 23 further comprising: means, integrated in the handset andresponsive to a command by a user, for producing a data connection toone or more of the service centers.
 26. The system as in claim 23further comprising: means, integrated in the handset, for automaticallyproducing a data connection to one or more of the service centers.
 27. Adiagnosis handset, connectable to a circuit breaker, for use in a systemfor remote servicing of the circuit breaker, comprising: connectionmeans, on one side of the diagnosis handset, for connecting the handsetto the circuit breaker; and communications interface means, on anotherside of the diagnosis handset, for allowing data to be interchanged witha plurality of service centers without interrupting commands from acontrol center, wherein the circuit breaker includes a plug socket towhich the diagnosis handset is connectable via the connection means. 28.The diagnosis handset as claimed in claim 27 further comprising: means,integrated in the handset and responsive to a telephone call, forsetting up a data connection to one or more of the service centers. 29.The diagnosis handset as claimed in claim 27, further comprising: means,integrated in the diagnosis handset and responsive to a command by auser, for producing a data connection to the one or more servicecenters.
 30. The diagnosis handset as claimed in claim 27, furthercomprising: means, integrated into the diagnosis handset, forautomatically producing a data connection to the one or more servicecenters.